After some simple treatment, he returned to the court and continued his assault.
But the score did not close because of it. Li Fei played only nine minutes in the first quarter and easily scored 16 points. The Knicks led 34-28.
In the second quarter, Iverson did not rest. He no longer cared about his stamina, or tomorrow; he only cared about this moment. With one reckless drive after another, he tried to ignite his teammates' fighting spirit.
But his teammates had already given up. Larry Hughes hesitated beyond the three-point line and did not dare shoot; Tyrone Hill's eyes were unfocused on defense; the players coming off the bench merely ran through their motions, waiting for the game to end.
By halftime, the score was 63-48. Iverson had already scored 26 points, but his plus-minus was -17.
In the second half, Larry Brown finally made that difficult decision.
"Allen, sit down," Brown said.
Iverson froze. "Coach, I can—"
"I know you can," Brown cut him off. "But there's no need. The series is over. I don't want you ruining your career here."
Iverson stood there with both fists clenched. Blood was still seeping from his forehead, and his jersey was soaked through with sweat. He wanted to argue, wanted to say he did not care, but when he looked into his teammates' eyes, he found himself speechless.
They had all already given up.
Iverson dropped heavily into his chair and covered his head with a towel. He did not cry. He simply sat there, completely still.
The second half became a mere formality. The Knicks' reserves received plenty of playing time, and Stephen Jackson hit three consecutive threes in the third quarter, drawing scattered boos from the Philadelphia fans—though even the boos had become weak and listless.
Li Fei